November 2021 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

BAS Research Assistant - Satellite image analysis
by Connor Bamford - BAS 15 Nov '21

15 Nov '21

The British Antarctic Survey is seeking to appoint six research assistants to spend 4 weeks analysing and classifying satellite images of whales between 1st January and 31st March as part of a NERC funded project studying whale densities in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Software licences for ArcGIS will be provided, and the positions will be paid at a rate of £357/week. Work will be conducted remotely, with regular online meetings for training and review of progress. Prior experience with ArcGIS software is essential. Prior field experience with cetacean surveys is essential, and that experience with aerial surveys is highly desirable. You will gain experience in satellite imagery analysis of whales and have a co-authorship contribution to the subsequent publication(s) from this work. For more details of the image analysis methodology please see Cubaynes et al. (2019) and Bamford et al. (2020). Interested applicants, please send a covering letter (an expression of interest in the project explaining your experience and reasons for applying) and a two-page CV to Connor Bamford (conord48(a)bas.ac.uk<mailto:conord48@bas.ac.uk>) by Friday 3rd December 2021. This opportunity is only available to UK passport holders or those with the permission to work in the UK. Bamford C. C. G., Kelly N., Dalla Rosa L., Cade D. E., Fretwell P. T., Trathan P. N., Cubaynes H. C., Mesquita A., Gerrish L., Friedlaender A. S., et al. (2020). A comparison of baleen whale density estimates derived from overlapping satellite imagery and a shipborne survey. Sci Rep 10: 12985. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69887-y Cubaynes H. C., Fretwell P. T., Bamford C., Gerrish L., Jackson J. A. (2019). Whales from space: Four mysticete species described using new VHR satellite imagery. Mar. Mamm. Sci. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12544 Connor Bamford | Marine Ecologist | British Antarctic Survey (University of Southampton) High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5732-7237 Email: conord48(a)bas.ac.uk<mailto:conord48@bas.ac.uk> Visit our website www.bas.ac.uk<https://www.bas.ac.uk/> | Follow BAS on Twitter<https://twitter.com/BAS_News?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%…> and Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/BritishAntarcticSurvey/> [signature_15653313][signature_1839152777][signature_863754808] NERC is part of UK Research and Innovation www.ukri.org<https://www.ukri.org/> Please think of the environment before printing out this message This email and any attachments are intended solely for the use of the named recipients. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this email or any of its attachments and should notify the sender immediately and delete this email from your system. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has taken every reasonable precaution to minimise risk of this email or any attachments containing viruses or malware but the recipient should carry out its own virus and malware checks before opening the attachments. UKRI does not accept any liability for any losses or damages which the recipient may sustain due to presence of any viruses.

1 0

2 vacancies for Marine Species Advisor
by Recruitment 15 Nov '21

15 Nov '21

Hello all JNCC have 2 fantastic opportunities for individuals to work within our Marine Species team. Post Title: Marine Species Advisor Ref No: 2021/117-118 Grade: H (HEO) Type of appointment: 1 x Permanent & 1 x 2 year FTA Location: Peterborough or Aberdeen Salary: £28,390 Why JNCC? We're small enough (c.230 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you'll need to get the job done. All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive Management provides advisers with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team will assist you in your role. You will benefit from our supportive workplace culture, excellent holiday and pension benefits, as well as an exciting job in a unique environment. Post background The Marine Species Team is responsible for delivery of JNCC's advice on the conservation of marine species (particularly European Protected Species). JNCC is responsible for the provision of clear, evidence-based advice to UK and devolved governments on measures that will be required to meet conservation targets including obligations under domestic and international instruments. JNCC works with partners to assess status and develop scientific advice on management for marine species, including marine mammals and seabirds. Our work informs the designation and management of Marine Protected Areas in UK waters and also on impacts of human activities on marine species and the measures required to mitigate such impacts throughout UK waters. We are seeking a Marine Species Adviser to support high profile ongoing species and impacts advice work within JNCC. The post-holder will be expected to take the lead on tasks and to work closely with others to seek their input where needed. They will routinely work with colleagues in the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, regulatory agencies, Defra and the Devolved Administrations. They will also be required to support work on national and international reporting where necessary. Job Description: Post Duties * Work with JNCC and country agency staff to provide advice to Government(s) on issues relating to the conservation of marine mammals. · Support the production of marine mammal conservation status assessments and other reports relating to the UK's international conservation commitments, such as those under OSPAR and ASCOBANS. · Organisation of project and/or partnership meetings and events, providing secretariat functions where these are necessary, and producing papers and giving presentations when appropriate. · Working with staff in the JNCC Marine Species Team, and other teams, identifying opportunities to develop new work areas and supporting preparation of project specifications and bids. · Support wider Marine Species Team and cross team working (e.g. noise and marine mammal tasks for the Marine Management Team). Technical To be a successful candidate you will be/have: * Strong background in the science and ecology of marine mammals * Knowledge of the main provisions of UK/international marine conservation policy relevant to marine mammals and turtles * Competent user of GIS to manipulate, interrogate and interpret spatial datasets * Knowledge of marine industries, such as offshore renewable energy and fisheries * Experience of using data manipulation and analysis software, such as R * Experience of drafting technical documentation and bid writing * Experience of project development and strategic thinking Behaviours · Working Together · Communicating and Influencing · Making Effective Decisions · Changing and Improving · Delivering at Pace In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on the lead behaviour of Working Together Please see the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/…<https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/…>data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf these positions can be found on the Civil Service Job site<https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi?SID=cGFnZWFjdGlvb…>

1 0

Aquatic Mammals - 47.6 published online
by Kathleen Dudzinski 15 Nov '21

15 Nov '21

Dear MARMAM and ECS Talk subscribers, Happy Early Holidays! Apologies to those of you who will receive duplicate emails due to cross-posting. The titles listed below represent the contents of the most recent Aquatic Mammals issue (Volume 47, issue 6, 2021) that is published online. Aquatic Mammals is the longest running peer-reviewed journal dedicated to research on aquatic mammals and is published quarterly with manuscripts available as published PDFs in real time. Further information about the journal can be found at: http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/ <http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/> To submit a manuscript for publication consideration, please visit: http://am.expressacademic.org/actions/author.php <http://am.expressacademic.org/actions/author.php> Thank you for your continued interest in the journal and abstract postings. With regards, Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D. Editor, Aquatic Mammals Journal business(a)aquaticmammalsjournal.org <mailto:business@aquaticmammalsjournal.org> Volume 47, Issue 6 (Items preceded by an ** are open access) Tessa Plint, Georg Hantke, Tobias Schwarz, and Andrew C. Kitchener. (2021). Dental Anomaly Causing Severe Maxillary Lesions in a Male Sowerby’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bidens Sowerby, 1804). Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 521-529. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.521 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.521> Guillermo J. Sánchez Contreras and Barbara Biancani. (2021). Third- and Fourth-Generation Cephalosporin Resistant Morganella morganii Associated to an Abscess on the Perineum of a Male Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 530-539. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.530 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.530> Lorena Magallón-Flores, Germán Garrido-Fariña, Alejandra Buenrostro-Silva, and Juan Meraz. (2021). Microscopic Structure of the Skin, Heart, and Digestive Canal of the Pygmy Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon peruvianus). Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 540-549. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.540 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.540> Deborah Patton and Steven Lawless. (2021). Surface and Underwater Observation of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Birth in Progress off Lahaina, Maui, and Subsequent Encounter of the Female with a Healthy Calf. Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 550-558. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.550 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.550> **David A. S. Rosen, Nicole M. Thometz, and Colleen Reichmuth. (2021). Seasonal and Developmental Patterns of Energy Intake and Growth in Alaskan Ice Seals. Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 559-573. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.559 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.559> Fuqiang Niu, Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, Xianyan Wang, Ruichao Xue, Watchara Sakornwimon, Fuxing Wu, and Yanming Yang. (2021). A Comparative Study of Echolocation Parameters of Wild and Captive Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins (Sousa chinensis). Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 574-584. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.574 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.574> Natália Wingert, Lucas Milmann, Melina Baumgarten, Daniel Danilewicz, Ivan Sazima, and Paulo H. Ott. (2021). Relationships Between Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Whalesuckers (Remora australis) at a Remote Archipelago in the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 585-598. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.585 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.585> Biagio Violi, Alessandro Verga, Lindsey S. Jones, Giulia Calogero, Giulia Soldano, Ted Cheeseman, and Frederick W. Wenzel. (2021). A Wanderer in the Mediterranean Sea: The Case of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) from the West Indies. Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 599-611. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.599 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.599> Edgar M. Hoyos-Padilla, Juan P. Gallo-Reynoso, and Isai D. Barba-Acuña. (2021). Presence of Guadalupe Fur Seals (Arctocephalus philippii townsendi) at Isla Roca Partida, Revillagigedo Archipelago, México. Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 612-617. https://doi.org/ <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.612>10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.612 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.612> **Barbara L. Taylor. (2021). Save Nature and Save Ourselves Through Embracing that Shared Sacrifice Can Lead to Shared Success. Aquatic Mammals, 47(6), 618-629. https://doi.org/ <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.618>10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.618 <https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.47.6.2021.618>

1 0

New paper: Can harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) discriminate familiar conspecific calls after long periods of separation?
by Andrea 15 Nov '21

15 Nov '21

Dear colleagues, Our paper on long-term memory in harbour seals has just been published in PeerJ. Varola M, Verga L, Sroka MGU, Villanueva S, Charrier I, Ravignani A. 2021. Can harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) discriminate familiar conspecific calls after long periods of separation? PeerJ 9:e12431 The ability to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar calls may play a key role in pinnipeds’ communication and survival, as in the case of mother-pup interactions. Vocal discrimination abilities have been suggested to be more developed in pinniped species with the highest selective pressure such as the otariids; yet, in some group-living phocids, such as harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), mothers are also able to recognize their pup’s voice. Conspecifics’ vocal recognition in pups has never been investigated; however, the repeated interaction occurring between pups within the breeding season suggests that long-term vocal discrimination may occur. Here we explored this hypothesis by presenting three rehabilitated seal pups with playbacks of vocalizations from unfamiliar or familiar pups. It is uncommon for seals to come into rehabilitation for a second time in their lifespan, and this study took advantage of these rare cases. A simple visual inspection of the data plots seemed to show more reactions, and of longer duration, in response to familiar as compared to unfamiliar playbacks in two out of three pups. However, statistical analyses revealed no significant difference between the experimental conditions. We also found no significant asymmetry in orientation (left vs. right) towards familiar and unfamiliar sounds. While statistics do not support the hypothesis of an established ability to discriminate familiar vocalizations from unfamiliar ones in harbor seal pups, further investigations with a larger sample size are needed to confirm or refute this hypothesis. The paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12431 . If the link above does not work and you would like to obtain a PDF, do not hesitate to contact me at: andrea.ravignani(a)mpi.nl . Kind regards, Andrea Andrea Ravignani Group Leader, Comparative Bioacoustics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

1 0

New paper: Strange Seal Sounds: Claps, Slaps, and Multimodal Pinniped Rhythms
by Andrea 15 Nov '21

15 Nov '21

Dear colleagues, Our opinion paper 'Strange Seal Sounds: Claps, Slaps, and Multimodal Pinniped Rhythms' has recently been published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. The paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.644497 . If the link above does not work and you would like to obtain a PDF, do not hesitate to contact me at: andrea.ravignani(a)mpi.nl . Kind regards, Andrea Andrea Ravignani Group Leader, Comparative Bioacoustics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

1 0

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine's Medicine of Aquatics, Amphibians, and Reptiles (MOAAR) Symposium
by Hannah Grace Smith 14 Nov '21

14 Nov '21

On behalf of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine's Exotic Animal Club, we formally invite you to join us at this year's Medicine of Aquatics, Amphibians, and Reptiles (MOAAR) Symposium happening ONLINE on Saturday and Sunday November 20-21st, 2021! This year's Keynote Lecture will be given by Dr. Chelsea Anderson, Associate D.V.M. at Georgia Aquarium (USA), who will be presenting on "Beluga Whale Reproduction." Other topics include marine mammal medicine, fish surgery, reptile medicine, amphibian pathology, and more! Attached is the current agenda, which can also be found navigating through the registration page. Registration for the event will be open until 5 pm on Friday, November 19th. The event is open to professional students, graduate students, undergraduate students, and professionals. Registration Link: https://cvent.me/bawN5r Most of the lectures will be recorded and available for viewing up to 6 months after the event, so if you cannot attend live you will be able to view them later. We're looking forward to putting on this fun, educational event and hope you will be able to join us! Please reach out to Hannah Smith at hgsmith(a)purdue.edu<mailto:hgsmith@purdue.edu> if you have any questions. Hannah G. Smith Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine D.V.M. Candidate Class of 2023 Purdue Exotic Animal Club Symposium Coordinator

1 0

Re: [MARMAM] Job posting- walrus harvest risk assessment modeler
by jenipher cate 14 Nov '21

14 Nov '21

> Hello All, > > > > Fish and Wildlife Service's Marine Mammals Management is hiring a > contract walrus and sea otter researcher within our Walrus and Sea Otter > Program to help develop a harvest risk assessment model. The position is > currently open for applications and resumes will be accepted until the > position is filled. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Dr. > Jenipher Cate at jenipher_cate(a)fws.gov. > > > > This is a remote position, but the person needs to be located and able to > work in the US. All interested parties are encouraged to apply. The > position is being hired through Lindahl Reed and is posted on their career > site at the link below. > > > > https://lindahlreed.com/careers/ > <https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flindahlre…> > > > > Cheers, > > -- > *Jenipher Cate, PhD * > *Marine Biologist * > > Marine Mammals Management – Walrus and Sea Otter Program Lead > > U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska > > > -- > Appologies for misspelled words. My thumbs have not evolved to accomodate > the iphone. > -- Appologies for misspelled words. My thumbs have not evolved to accomodate the iphone.

1 0

New paper: Neuroanatomy of the grey seal brain: bringing pinnipeds into the neurobiological study of vocal learning
by Andrea 14 Nov '21

14 Nov '21

Dear colleagues, Our paper on 'Neuroanatomy of the grey seal brain: bringing pinnipeds into the neurobiological study of vocal learning' has recently been published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The paper is available here: https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_3274989_5/component/file_3339889/content . If the link above does not work and you would like to obtain a PDF, do not hesitate to contact me at: andrea.ravignani(a)mpi.nl <mailto:andrea.ravignani@mpi.nl> . Kind regards, Andrea Comparative animal studies of complex behavioural traits, and their neurobiological underpinnings, can increase our understanding of their evolution, including in humans. Vocal learning, a potential precursor to human speech, is one such trait. Mammalian vocal learning is under-studied: most research has either focused on vocal learning in songbirds or its absence in non-human primates. Here, we focus on a highly promising model species for the neurobiology of vocal learning: grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). We provide a neuroanatomical atlas (based on dissected brain slices and magnetic resonance images), a labelled MRI template, a three-dimensional model with volumetric measurements of brain regions, and histological cortical stainings. Four main features of the grey seal brain stand out: (i) it is relatively big and highly convoluted; (ii) it hosts a relatively large temporal lobe and cerebellum; (iii) the cortex is similar to that of humans in thickness and shows the expected six-layered mammalian structure; (iv) there is expression of FoxP2 present in deeper layers of the cortex; FoxP2 is a gene involved in motor learning, vocal learning, and spoken language. Our results could facilitate future studies targeting the neural and genetic underpinnings of mammalian vocal learning, thus bridging the research gap from songbirds to humans and non-human primates. Our findings are relevant not only to vocal learning research but also to the study of mammalian neurobiology and cognition more in general. Andrea Ravignani Group Leader, Comparative Bioacoustics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

1 0

New paper: Vocal plasticity in harbour seal pups
by Andrea 14 Nov '21

14 Nov '21

Dear colleagues, Our paper on 'Vocal plasticity in harbour seal pups' has recently been published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The paper is available on the journal webpage: https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0456 . If the link above does not work and you would like to obtain a PDF, do not hesitate to contact me at: andrea.ravignani(a)mpi.nl . Kind regards, Andrea Vocal plasticity can occur in response to environmental and biological factors, including conspecifics' vocalizations and noise. Pinnipeds are one of the few mammalian groups capable of vocal learning, and are therefore relevant to understanding the evolution of vocal plasticity in humans and other animals. Here, we investigate the vocal plasticity of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), a species with vocal learning abilities observed in adulthood but not puppyhood. To evaluate early mammalian vocal development, we tested 1–3 weeks-old seal pups. We tailored noise playbacks to this species and age to induce seal pups to shift their fundamental frequency (f0), rather than adapt call amplitude or temporal characteristics. We exposed individual pups to low- and high-intensity bandpass-filtered noise, which spanned—and masked—their typical range of f0; simultaneously, we recorded pups' spontaneous calls. Unlike most mammals, pups modified their vocalizations by lowering their f0 in response to increased noise. This modulation was precise and adapted to the particular experimental manipulation of the noise condition. In addition, higher levels of noise induced less dispersion around the mean f0, suggesting that pups may have actively focused their phonatory efforts to target lower frequencies. Noise did not seem to affect call amplitude. However, one seal showed two characteristics of the Lombard effect known for human speech in noise: significant increase in call amplitude and flattening of spectral tilt. Our relatively low noise levels may have favoured f0 modulation while inhibiting amplitude adjustments. This lowering of f0 is unusual, as most animals commonly display no such f0 shift. Our data represent a relatively rare case in mammalian neonates, and have implications for the evolution of vocal plasticity and vocal learning across species, including humans. Andrea Ravignani Group Leader, Comparative Bioacoustics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

1 0

New publication on humpback whales and environmental drivers
by Olaf Meynecke 12 Nov '21

12 Nov '21

Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our new paper in FMS under the Whales and Climate Topic: Humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, are a highly migratory species exposed to a wide range of environmental factors during their lifetime. The spatial and temporal characteristics of such factors play a significant role in determining suitable habitats for breeding, feeding and resting. The existing studies of the relationship between oceanic conditions and humpback whale ecology provide the basis for understanding impacts on this species. Here we have determined the most relevant environmental drivers identified in peer-reviewed literature published over the last four decades, and assessed the methods used to identify relationships. A total of 148 studies were extracted through an online literature search. These studies used a combined estimated 105,000 humpback whale observations over 1,216 accumulated study years investigating the relationship between humpback whales and environmental drivers in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Studies focusing on humpback whales in feeding areas found preferences for areas of upwelling, high chlorophyll-a concentration and frontal areas with changes in temperature, depth and currents, where prey can be found in high concentration. Preferred calving grounds were identified as shallow, warm and with slow water movement to aid the survival of calves. The few studies of migration routes have found preferences for shallow waters close to shorelines with moderate temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration. Extracting information and understanding the influence of key drivers of humpback whale behavioral modes are important for conservation, particularly in regard to expected changes of environmental conditions under climate change. The full article is Open Access and available online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.720774/full Please feel free to contact me (o.meynecke(a)griffith.edu.au) with any questions.

1 0